Vern Cotter is a New Zealander who now coaches Clermont Auvergne.

Cotter spent 10 years playing for Auckland in New Zealand before representing a number of clubs in France.

He returned to New Zealand in 1999 to begin his coaching career, which started at Bay of Plenty before moving to the Canterbury Crusaders as assistant coach until 2006.

Cotter took over at Clermont for the 2006/7 season. In his first season Clermont lost in the Top 14 final to Stade Francais, the following season they made the final again only to lose to Toulouse and a third successive final defeat came the next year against Perpignan. But in their fourth attempt Cotter's Clermont beat Perpignan 19-6 in the 2010 Top 14 final